Baldrine Spaceport, Isle of Man 2039A.D.
An ominous sky greeted Rhett and Leola Barber as they joined the queue forming outside of the impressive steel and glass structure. The gray clouds hung low in the sky. The air felt cool and damp. At 11:00 in the morning, it was shaping up to be a gloomy day.
The husband and wife were ages 27 and 24 respectively and had only just arrived on the Isle of Man that very morning. Unlike some of the gathering couples, the Barbers had a relatively short commute to Baldrine. They'd hopped a Scuttle Ferry from Southport and when they'd arrive in Douglas, set out on an old fashioned monorail to the site of the launch.
The journey from their hometown had taken them little more than three hours. Judging from the variety of accents and languages they now heard in the growing crowd, many had come from much further.
Leola clasped her husband's hand and made a nervous face.
"We're the lucky ones Lee Lee." Rhett reminded her. "Just remember that." He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled confidently.
Whether one believed in luck or not, there was no denying they were certainly among the chosen. The throng of people converging on Baldrine Spaceport from all over Earth numbered just two thousand. One thousand men and one thousand women, all of child bearing age, selected based upon set criteria to embark on an unprecedented colonization project.
Leola didn't respond but instead glanced around at the others who had been chosen. All couples, all without children, all between 21 and 30. Beyond those three parameters though, the people lined up seemed to represent every race, ethnicity and religious background.
Diversity in space. It was one of many familiar slogans that had come out for the Aquarius Epta Project. The Project, as it was often called, was a joint venture between twenty governments, facilitated mostly by the world's largest corporation, Carr Enterprises.
Leola had initially been bothered by the seemingly discriminatory nature of selecting the first generation for the colonies. She wondered how diverse a project could be if it was comprised of entirely cisgendered heterosexuals. Rhett had been quick to point out that the next generation most certainly wouldn't be. His assurances had brought a small measure of consolation but they did not make up for the fact that people like her best friends Shala and Morgan weren't welcome aboard what the media had dubbed the Trappist Ark.
The Trappist Ark project had been in the news nightly for a year. Unfortunately for all those ambitious journalists, the Project's launch date had somehow been kept a strict secret. In fact, a false date had been purposely leaked to the media several months ago. The subterfuge had evidently been successful as not a single news van or media representative had showed up to Baldrine on this gray morning.
The dark sky was showing signs of impending rain. Many members of the crowd milling about in front of the massive compound seemed to be watching the clouds, some clutching umbrellas in anticipation.
Leola shivered involuntarily and before she could say a word, her husband had removed his favorite olive green coat and placed it around her shoulders. She started to protest but the resolute look on Rhett's face stopped any such argument before it could form.
Instead she whispered, "Thank you babe." She knew it was no use trying to stop his chivalry. And she also knew there were far worse problems one could have with a husband.
"Hopefully they get us all in there before this sky opens up." Rhett commented suddenly, sounding uncharacteristically impatient.
"Wait a minute." Leola giggled, bumping into her husband's side. "Are you nervous?"
He smirked at her. "Of course not. I'm perfect."
Leola snorted her derision, a big smile lit up her pretty face for the first time today. "Keep telling yourself that Barber." she chided.
He put his arm around his wife and pulled her in for a side hug, kissing her affectionately on the top of her blonde head.
Just then, a male voice with an Australian accent came booming over a series of loudspeakers.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to welcome you at this time to make your way forward through the now-opened doors."
The conversation heard among the large gathering of men and women had been sparse up to this point but with the words of the Coordinator, an excited buzz settled on the crowd.
The Coordinator continued. "Just inside, you will be met by The Project's Guardians of Protection. You will need to have identification ready and submit to a rapid scan before being directed to your boarding gate."
"Whoa. Here we go." Leola breathed as she noticed the line beginning to advance. Adrenaline shot through her as they inched forward. She and Rhett didn't exchange a single word until they'd reached the doors and stepped inside the brightly lit atrium.
"Hmm." Rhett scoffed, sounding unimpressed. "Guardians of Protection?"
"Seriously." Leola murmured her agreement. "Looks like security at Heathrow to me."
She wasn't quite sure what she'd been expecting, but she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at the commonplace sight of people proffering their ID cards before passing through scanning equipment. All under the watchful eyes of some rather sinister looking Guardians.
At least the passengers were moved through fairly quickly. The Project seemed to be just as organized at this embarking stage as it had been since its inception. There had few setbacks and even fewer screening mishaps. Even the application and registration process had been seamless. If nothing else, this level of proficiency had inspired a certain level of confidence in Leola who was not only a pathological Type A personality but also a Chartered Accountant. She thrived on efficiency, symmetry and follow-through and didn't suffer fools gladly.
They got through the Guardians' post before they knew it and were ushered to a holding area along with about 200 other passengers by one of the Coordinators- easily recognizable by her mint green uniform. The redhead appeared to be around 30 and wore a nametag that read I. Pendleton. After a brief welcome and stewardess-style boarding procedures introduction, she handed them each boarding passes and pointed them down a long stainless steel corridor toward Gate D.
The newly formed subgroup marched silently down the narrow passage, not a soul speaking. It was as if the sudden possession of boarding passes had made it more real for everyone. Only the echoed sound of shoes squeaking and thudding on the waxed tile floor could be heard.
They turned a corner and saw they were entering the spaceport's equivalent of an airbridge- much like the enclosed movable walkways at an airport that lead to a passenger plane. Except this bridge led directly to the cabin doors of the Aquarius Epta Spacecraft.
When the group, with Leola and Rhett near the front, reached the sealed entrance, the doors slid open with a pneumatic hissing sound. The passengers were greeted by a rather surly looking Guardian and another smiling Coordinator, this one a blonde guy.
"Let's see those boarding passes folks!" the cheerful young man in mint green encouraged, like his disposition might somehow cancel out the scowl of the muscular guy in military garb to his right currently giving everyone the stink eye.
As Rhett handed over their boarding passes, the Coordinator nodded and said in a grandiose sort of way, "Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Barber, to your home for the next forty years."
The TARDIS, Rio De Janeiro 2080 A.D.
"So where to now Doctor?" Turlough asked, sounding somewhat despondent as he leaned against the console.
The Doctor glanced over at him, suspecting he might be a little sad having just said good bye to the young woman Rosa they'd met on their latest adventure. Interesting, seeing Turlough show such interest in a human.
The Doctor was already conveniently beginning to forget his own interactions with Ileana de Santos.
"I'm not quite sure." he told his companion, trying to sound upbeat as he flipped a switch on the console. "I imagine we can find something fascinating to occupy ourselves, somewhere in space and time." He squinted at the monitor and tapped some keys on the keyboard. "Ah. Here we are." He looked rather pleased with himself as he pulled up a program on the TARDIS computer.
Turlough wandered over, looking a bit cheered up at the prospect of an exciting new adventure. "What is that?" he inquired, peering over the blonde Time Lord's shoulder at the computer screen curiously. "I've not seen that application before."
"This is the TARDIS Chronology Database. It's been on the blink for decades but the software patch I applied a few days ago seems to have brought it back online." he explained. "We can search out a specific event in time and space and the TARDIS can take us right to it."
"Any event at all?" Turlough asked skeptically.
"Well," the Doctor corrected, "Any major event that I haven't already crossed on my timeline I should say. See here, it defaulted to the current year. 2080 A.D. It shows significant happenings all around the universe on this date."
Turlough began to read from the screen over his shoulder. "Didonians appoint a new leader. Ugh, politics."
"I've been to Dido about five hundred years in the future." He looked wistful, remembering. "But yes, politics can be awfully dull."
Turlough continued down the list. "A cataclysmic asteroidal impact with the planet Arietes. Sounds like we might want to avoid Arietes today." he scoffed.
"Hmm. Well." The Doctor was clearly disappointed the computer wasn't providing a better example of a fascinating event.
"Perhaps we should check on another date..." Turlough suggested.
"No! Wait just a moment. Here!" He pointed at the next event on the list and read out loud. "Aquarius Epta Shuttle reaches the Trappist planets to begin colonization." He turned excitedly toward Turlough.
The redhead merely raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, still unimpressed.
The Doctor gave his friend a look of disbelief at his disinterest. "Don't you see? It's the very beginning of a brand new civilization in another solar system. The very first time humans colonized in space. The Aquarius Epta spacecraft took a little over forty years at near light speed to reach the seven planets in the constellation of Aquarius. The 2000 original passengers aboard started a whole new generation en route." He turned back toward the computer and clicked on the incident. The program brought up a page full of information about the planetary system.
"Only 2000 humans sent to colonize seven planets? Seems a bit sparse, don't you think?" Turlough was still being difficult, but now the Doctor could see his interest had at last been captured.
The Doctor gestured to the information screen. "Of the seven planets orbiting the Trappist-1 star, only three were considered to be habitable, inside what astrobiologists refer to as the Circumstellar Habitable Zone. The three planets set for colonization were Elpida, Felix and Giannes. And besides, all seven planets are tidally locked. Meaning that even of the habitable planets, half the planet is always day, the other half night. It rather limits the livable area of the planet."
Turlough scratched the side of his face and nodded. "Have you ever been to any of those planets? Did the colonies thrive?"
The Doctor raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I never have made it to any of the Trappist planets. Always have been curious about those colonies though." He tilted his head in a challenging fashion. "Shall we?"
Turlough smiled at last. "Haven't anything better to do I suppose."
"That's the spirit." the Doctor encouraged. He tapped a few keys, then pulled the dematerialization lever. The engines wheezed and chuffed as the TARDIS whisked them away to a different place while remaining in time.
"So which of the three planets are we visiting?" Turlough wondered.
"Good question." the Doctor replied, looking sheepish. "And... one I don't really have the answer to just yet."
The TARDIS engines began to make their customary rematerialization noise without a single hiccup or shudder. The Doctor tried not to look too surprised by the smooth landing as he flipped a switch to pull up the viewing scanner.
The screen showed a very dim room furnished with hundreds of shelves holding various supplies. There didn't appear to be any life around where they'd landed.
"Some type of storage facility?" Turlough murmured.
The Doctor squinted at the screen, deep in thought. "Perhaps." he replied.
"Only one way to find out." Turlough asserted as he activated the door lever.
The Doctor hesitated for just a moment before falling into step with his companion.
The TARDIS doors sprang open and the two travelers exited warily, watching all around them. The enormous room was rather dark and cool and did indeed appear to be some sort of storage structure.
They made their way toward the nearest shelving unit, seeking some clue as to their current location. The Doctor pulled a small torch from his pocket and they surveyed the shelves.
"These are food rations." Turlough pointed out. "And hydration packets as well." He walked to the next shelving unit. "And here are hygienic supplies. Soap and toothpaste... Definitely a storage facility." He rubbed at a spot of rust on a shelf. "A rather rundown storage facility." He amended.
"Interesting." the Doctor murmured, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Turlough, I suspect I might be able to answer your question now. As to which planet we'll be visiting."
Turlough set down a foil wrapped packet he'd been reading and eyed the Doctor. "Which one?"
"Whichever one this spacecraft lands on first, I should think." he gestured to the first shelf Turlough had looked at. "These food rations and hydration packets are the type commonly stocked on board extended space flights."
Turlough's eyes widened. "You mean we're on board the colony shuttle?"
"So it would seem." The Doctor pulled his hat from his pocket, unrolled it and popped it on top of his head. "As you so eloquently stated only a few moments ago, there's just one way to find out." He stuck his hands into the pockets of his tan coat and strolled casually off in the direction of some double doors on the far end of the room.
Turlough made a sound in the back of his throat and followed. "Doctor, is it really such a good idea to go exploring the shuttle before it reaches its destination? I would imagine a stowaway would stick out like a sore thumb here."
When they reached the sealed doors, the Doctor turned and gave Turlough a half grin. "If that's your objection, we probably shouldn't bother at all. Our presence on any of the planets would be called into question just the same."
Turlough rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if we get captured again, I'm going to seriously consider returning to Brendan Public School if we ever make it out alive."
The Doctor chuckled and pressed a button beside the doors to open them.
The doors whooshed open and the sudden onslaught of bright light coming from the well-lit corridor just on the other side left their unadjusted eyes blinking. The Doctor cut off the flashlight and stuck it back into his coat pocket. Things happened very quickly after that.
Just as they were about to step out into the corridor, two women came barreling around the corner from an intersecting corridor, as if being chased, and very nearly bowled them over.
"Hey! Careful now!" Turlough groused as the shorter of the two, a brunette of perhaps thirty, smacked directly into him. There was an awkward tangle of limbs and for a moment one would be forgiven for thinking they were dancing.
Her companion, a blonde around the same age, managed to put on the brakes before careening headlong into the Doctor. She stopped just short, toe to toe with the Time Lord and looked up, panic apparent on her pretty, if somewhat grimy features.
She uttered one word.
"Help."
The Doctor didn't think, just acted upon instinct. He grabbed the woman by the arm and pulled her quickly into the storage room, then reached back and pulled Turlough by the sleeve of his jacket. Turlough was yanked back into the room and the petite brunette, still tangled up with him, unwittingly came along for the ride.
"To the TARDIS!" the Doctor instructed as the doors closed automatically behind them. They rushed in and headed for the back of the large room.
The four of them hadn't quite made it to the blue box when the doors leading to the corridor sprang back open.
"I'm sure they came in here." a gruff male voice remarked from the door.
"No time!" Turlough whispered fiercely and gestured for the four of them to duck behind one of the large shelving units nearby.
As if by some unspoken decree, the foursome moved as one to hide in the near perfect darkness of a corner, mostly obscured by the towering shelves.
The Doctor peeked from behind the shelving framework and took in the two burly men dressed in security garb far across the dark room, struggling to turn on the overhead light which was clearly in need of maintenance (as was likely much of the forty year old ship)
The Doctor then glanced over at the girls curiously as they all huddled together silently in the dark. His eyes narrowed. They both looked exhausted and dirty, their hair mussed, their clothes wrinkled and worn. What type of trouble could the two women be in to warrant such a search party?
The blonde woman appeared a bit breathless and was looking at him in a suspicious manner, no doubt wondering where the two stowaways had come from. However, judging from the fact that she had been so quick to seek their help, she was obviously desperate enough to trust the complete strangers anyway.
"Brilliant. And neither of us with a torch." One of the guards muttered irritably. He took a few steps into the room. His voice lowered but was still audible to the group hiding. "Who knows if either of those bitches is armed."
The Doctor and Turlough shared identical looks- eyebrows raised, now even more intrigued by their new friends.
"Go to the outpost station in Section E and grab us a couple lights." The other guard replied in resignation. "I'll stand outside to make sure nobody leaves."
The two exited the poorly lit room back to the corridor.
As soon as the doors slid shut behind them, the short brunette hopped to her feet.
"Alright. Well who the hell are you two then?" She asked, obviously trying to sound tougher than she felt in the moment. Her quavering voice gave her away.
"I'm Turlough and this is the Doctor." Turlough replied, also climbing to his feet and looking down his nose at her. "We arrived here by mistake. Who are you two and why are you running from those police men?"
The blonde rolled her eyes as she stood up, dusting off the back of her trousers. "Those two?" she scoffed. "They aren't exactly police. They're called Guardians of Protection."
The Doctor stood last and tilted his head, not quite sure what to make of either of these two. "And what exactly do these Guardians of Protection want with you? And why would they think you might be armed?"
The brunette had grown quiet. She was watching the door nervously.
The blonde stranger sighed. "We've been in hidin for weeks. But see... they caught sight of us this morning." She fidgeted with the sleeves of her worn olive green coat. "My sister and I are in a bit of trouble with them." She admitted, her blue eyes darted to the other young woman then back up to the Doctor.
"But it's not for some terrible crime." the brunette jumped in to reassure them. "We ain't thieves or murderers. Just... trouble makers."
"We've just kind of been stirring things up around here." the blonde sister explained. "Trying to spread awareness about what's really going on with the Project."
The Doctor sighed and gestured for the others to follow him to his ship. He was quietly thoughtful as he considered the women's words.
When they reached the doors of the TARDIS, he turned and seemed to take measure of the sisters. "And what really is going on with the project?" He asked somewhat sternly, his arms crossed.
"The bastards killed our mum and dad." the brunette blurted despite a dirty look from her sister.
The Doctor's eyes softened, a look of compassion on his handsome face. "Right. Why don't the two of you come with us? We can keep you safe while we figure out what exactly is going on here." He stuck his key in the TARDIS door, but before turning the key, looked back over his shoulder at them and seemingly as an afterthought inquired. "What are your names?"
"We're the Barbers." the blonde girl answered gravely. "I'm Cadence Barber and this is my younger sister Haven."